James V. D’Arc was born and raised in Glendale, California, where his fascination with classic films and interest in the film industry began. Earning degrees in history and motion picture history at Brigham Young University, including a Ph.D., D’Arc taught courses in film and American culture for 30 years at BYU and founded the BYU Film Music Archive, out of which he produced two dozen albums of original motion picture soundtracks from Hollywood’s most famous composers. During his 41-year career as a Curator at BYU’s Special Collections, D’Arc acquired the original papers, films, and artifacts of famed producer directors Cecil B. DeMille, Howard Hawks, Merian C. Cooper, and Henry Koster in addition to the papers of actor James Stewart.
D’Arc also programmed and hosted the BYU Motion Picture Archive Film Series for 18 years where was screened original motion picture film prints from the collections that he acquired for the university, up to his retirement in 2017.
When Hollywood Came to Utah is the result of more than 30 years of original on-site research and interviews. Its first printing in 2010, was followed by two subsequent editions. The Centennial Edition, published on March 19, is completely updated and lists all 1,240 motion pictures, TV movies, and TV series filmed in Utah up through 2023, complete with title, lead cast, and specific Utah locations. Five new chapters were added documenting recent features by Disney, and featuring the phenomenal hit feature films and series High School Musical. The additional chapters are devoted to The Chosen, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, Touched by An Angel, and Kevin Costner’s new multiple-feature western film epic, Horizon: An American Sage. Costner wrote the new Foreword especially for the Centennial Edition.
​
Purchase his books on Amazon